Breathable Footwear, in Particular for Applications to Ski Boots and/or Sports Shoes, and Related Production Method

ABSTRACT

Breathable footwear comprising a waterproofing and breathable portion, at least partially closed so as to identify a containment volume for a foot, wherein the waterproofing and breathable portion is shaped to allow the escape of water or vapour to the outside of the footwear and of the containment volume and to prevent the entry of water or vapour coming from the outside, an upper arranged to cover said waterproofing and breathable portion, wherein the upper is at least partially perforated to facilitate the escape of water or vapour from the waterproofing and breathable portion. The waterproofing and breathable portion is mechanically connected to the upper by means of at least one tape, comprising at least a first flap attached to the waterproofing and breathable portion by means of gluing or heat welding, and comprising at least a second flap fixed to the upper by means of gluing, thermo-forming or sewing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No.BS2014A000178, filed Sep. 30, 2014, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to breathable footwear (4), in particular forapplications to ski boots, off-track ski boots, telemark, snow board aswell as sports shoes in general, and related production method.

BACKGROUND

As is known, footwear in general, especially in applications for sportsuse, tends to warm the user's foot and to cause abundant sweating. Sweattends to pool inside the shoe compromising comfort.

In fact, if one thinks of applications on ski boots, between the skiboot and the foot of the user are interposed shoes, suitably padded thathave the function of cushioning the contact between the foot and therigid structure of the boot and at the same time allowing, as much aspossible, the thermal insulation of the foot.

In the case of ski boots, if the user's foot is wet, the comfort andtemperature of the foot would be significantly reduced because theexchange of heat with the outside increases.

Even in sports applications not related to skiing, if the footwear doesnot allow adequate breathability, the pooling of sweat on the foot maycause a feeling of excessive warmth for the user as well as the possibleformation of blisters.

For these reasons, breathable footwear is known in the sector that isprovided with internal membranes that promote the breathability of thefoot perspiration and avoid the pooling of sweat.

In the case of ski boots, the main purpose of these breathable shoes isto provide the user comfort, thermal insulation and water repellency.

Comfort must be achieved by creating a thickness of soft material thatprevents direct contact between the user's foot and the rigid shell,typically made of plastic or other materials.

Thermal insulation is essential in order to provide comfort whileskiing/walking and to prevent the foot from becoming too cold. Thisaspect is essential both in applications on boots and, for example, butnot only, in the field of trekking footwear.

Finally, water repellency is essential because, in the case ofinfiltration of water/snow inside the boot, it is necessary to preventthe user's foot from getting wet: in fact, in this case, as seen, thecomfort and temperature of the foot would be significantly reducedbecause the exchange of heat with the outside would increase.

At the same time, it is necessary to provide the shoe adequatebreathability to provide the formation and accumulation of sweat; infact, in case of accumulation of sweat, the user's comfort would declinedrastically because sweating is one of the leading causes of loss ofthermal insulation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is currently not possible, with the techniques of the prior art, toprovide a shoe that ensures the optimal comfort, breathability of thefoot, thermal insulation and water repellency.

In fact, thermal insulation and water repellency are often mutuallyincompatible with the breathability of the foot.

In current solutions, breathable footwear comprises a waterproofingportion/membrane, substantially a closed bag, which is sewn and fixedinternally to the upper by means of adhesives and/or stitching.

Such solutions are not free from drawbacks.

In fact, the seams cause holes through which the waterproofingportion/membrane loses at least partially the waterproofing propertiesthat allow the vapour to escape but prevent the entry of water andliquids. In other words the seam holes constitute the points throughwhich external liquids can penetrate through the waterproofing membranewhich, therefore, loses the properties of waterproofing and/or waterrepellency.

In addition, the solutions of direct stitching between the waterproofingportion and the upper involve direct adhesion between the membrane andthe upper itself: such adhesion, i.e., the absence of a gap, reduces theoverall thermal insulation properties between the foot and the outside.

Adhesives, however, create a layer of non-breathable material thatcauses pooling of water or vapour inside the waterproofing andbreathable portion.

Therefore, in the current known solutions, the footwear is a closed gapthat creates pooling of sweating or, indeed, does not prevent the entryof water from outside: as seen, sweating, as well as the entry of waterfrom outside, is one of the main causes of loss of comfort, as it cangenerate blisters and reduce the thermal insulation of the shoe.

Therefore, the solutions of the prior art are a compromise betweenbreathability/evaporation of the sweat of the foot and thewaterproofing/water repellency of the footwear. This compromise is not,however, able to meet the needs of more demanding users who useshoes/ski boots continuously in harsh conditions.

Therefore, there is a need to solve the drawbacks and limitationsmentioned in reference to the prior art.

This need is met by breathable shoe according to claim 1 and by a methodfor producing a breathable shoe according to claim 14.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of this invention will be moreunderstandable from the following description of its preferred andnon-limiting examples of embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ski boot provided with a breathableinternal footwear article according to an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a breathable sports footwear articleaccording to an embodiment of this invention;

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are successive schematic views of the production ofa breathable footwear article according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the breathable footwear article of FIG. 6,along the section plane VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a breathable footwear article accordingto this invention, applied to a ski boot;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the breathable footwear article of FIG. 8,along the section plane IX-IX of FIG. 8.

The members, or parts of members, in common between the embodimentsdescribed below will be indicated with the same reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the above figures, reference number 4 globallyindicates a breathable footwear article, in particular for applicationson ski boots, off-track ski boots, telemark, snow board as well assports shoes in general.

The above-cited applications are to be regarded as non-limiting examplesof the possible applications of this invention.

The breathable footwear 4 comprises a waterproofing and breathableportion 8, at least partially sealed so as to identify a containmentvolume 12 for a foot of a user.

In particular, the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 is shaped soas to allow the escape of water or vapour to the outside of the footwear4 and the containment volume 12 and so as to prevent the entry of wateror vapour coming from the outside of the footwear 4 inside saidcontainment volume 12.

For example, the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 is formed insuch a way as to be folded and sealed as a bag, having a front accessportion 16 so as to cover an associable user's foot at least up to theheight of an ankle of said foot.

According to an embodiment, said waterproofing and breathable portion 8is folded and sealed by seams 20; preferably those seams 20 arewaterproofed.

For example, said seams 20 are waterproofed by overlapping waterproofadhesive tape 24.

According to an embodiment, the waterproofing and breathable portion 8comprises a membrane, for example, of the GORE-TEX® type.

The breathable footwear 4 also comprises an upper 28 arranged as acovering of said waterproofing and breathable portion 8, wherein theupper 28 is at least partially perforated to facilitate the escape ofwater or vapour from the waterproofing and breathable portion 8.

Preferably, this upper 28 is water-repellent, so as to prevent the entryof water or vapour which would pool in the gap between the waterproofingand breathable portion 8 and said upper 28 itself.

Advantageously, the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 ismechanically connected to the upper 28 by means of at least one tape 32,for example made of thermoplastic or other material, comprising at leasta first flap 36 attached to the waterproofing and breathable portion 8by means of gluing or heat welding, and comprising at least a secondflap 40 fixed to the upper 28 by means of gluing, thermoforming orsewing.

The definition of tape must be considered in the broad sense, meaningnot necessarily a long and thin strip but any connection element, eventhread-like, suitable to connect the waterproofing and breathableportion 8 and the upper 28 with each other.

Preferably, the tape 32 is shaped so as to permit a clearance or gapbetween the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 and the upper 28.

According to an embodiment, the tape 32 is shaped so that the connectionbetween the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 and the upper 28 isof the slack type, allowing a mutual movement between the connectedparts, but at the same time ensures the locking on the longitudinal axisX-X of the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 avoiding the use ofglues.

The tape 32 may be positioned in different positions of thewaterproofing and breathable portion.

For example, the tape 32 is positioned at one side edge 44 of thewaterproofing and breathable portion 8, arranged parallel to a maindirection of longitudinal extension X-X of the breathable footwear 4.

According to an embodiment, the tape 32 is made of thermoplasticmaterial. Production with thermoplastic material facilitates the heatwelding of the tape on portions of the waterproofing and breathableportion 8 and/or on the upper 28.

For example, the tape 32 can be provided with a plurality of holes (notshown) that improve its breathability.

Said holes enhance the breathability of the breathable footwear 4 and,in particular, do not interfere but rather facilitate breathability,from the inside towards the outside of the footwear, provided by thewaterproofing and breathable portion 8: in other words, the vapourcoming from the containment volume 12 and from the waterproofing andbreathable portion 8 can freely exit also in correspondence of the firstflap 36 of attachment of the tape 32, so as to reach the upper 28 and beable to escape through the latter.

According to an embodiment, the upper 28 comprises a plurality ofoverlapping and breathable components 48, suitable to form portions offootwear having different thicknesses, materials and/or stiffnesses.

For example, said components 48 may comprise padding of various types,such as anti-chafing patches, inserts and coverings arranged incorrespondence of particularly exposed parts of the foot, such as themalleolus, the tip of the foot, the heel and the like.

These components 48 have, in their outer part in contact with an innerwall 76 of a ski boot 64, the peculiarity of being composed ofhydrophobic materials.

According to an embodiment wherein at least one of said overlapping andbreathable components 48 of the upper 28 is made of a thermo-formablematerial.

Thermo-formable material means a material suitable to be formed underthe action of heat so as to maintain the conformation also following itssubsequent cooling.

The footwear are thermo-formed by fitting the footwear to the user: inthis way, the footwear can actually take the shape of the user's footand therefore can be shaped to measure.

In order for the thermoforming to take place in a comfortable manner, itis necessary that the material forming the components 48 isthermo-formable at a sufficiently low temperature so that they can beheated, and thus thermo-formed, while the user is wearing the footwear,without being his being burned.

It is clear that the footwear 4 is composed of several parts, such asfor example an insole 52, which is also preferably provided with holesand suitable to realise a comfortable support for the sole of the foot.

Moreover, the shoe may include a tongue 56 preferably provided withholes, and an upper structure 60, also preferably provided with holes,suitable to embrace the tibial zone of the user.

Even the insole 52, the upper structure 60 and the tongue 56 can be madeof a thermo-formable material, as described above.

As mentioned above, the breathable footwear 4 according to thisinvention is suitable for use in applications on boots, off-track skiboots, telemark and snow board.

Said boots 64 typically include a shell 68 and a cuff 72, hinged to theshell 68, in correspondence of the malleolus of the user's foot.

The boot 64 defines an internal compartment that houses the breathablefootwear.

Said footwear 4 is housed inside the compartment of the ski bootdelimited by an inner wall 76 of the ski boot 64 so as to make an outerlayer 80 of the footwear 4 face said inner wall 76 of the ski boot 64.

In other words, the breathable footwear 4 is interposed between the footof the user and the boot 64.

We will now describe the production method of a breathable footweararticle according to this invention will be described.

Said method comprises a waterproofing and breathable portion 8 dividedinto at least two separate parts 8′,8″ (FIGS. 3 to 4).

To the waterproofing and breathable portion 8 is applied a first flap 36of the tape 32, by means of gluing or heat welding.

Then, one proceeds to seal said parts 8′,8″ together by joining togethercounter-shaped flaps, so as to identify a containment volume 12 for afoot of a user (FIG. 5).

The waterproofing the joins of said counter-shaped flaps is performed.This waterproofing may, for example, take place through the applicationof waterproof thermal adhesive tape 24 to cover said seams/joins 20(FIG. 6).

An upper 28 is arranged so as to cover said waterproofing and breathableportion 8 (FIGS. 8 to 9), wherein the upper 28 is at least partiallyperforated to facilitate the escape of water or vapour from thewaterproofing and breathable portion 8.

The step of mechanically connecting the waterproofing and breathableportion 8 to the upper 28 by means of at least one tape 32 (FIGS. 4, 5,6 and 7), wherein at least a first flap 36 of the tape 32 is attached tothe waterproofing and breathable portion 8 by means of gluing or heatwelding, and at least a second flap 40 of the tape 32 is attached to theupper 28 by means of gluing, heat welding or sewing (FIG. 9).

As can be appreciated from the description, the breathable footwearaccording to the invention allows overcoming the drawbacks presented inthe prior art.

In particular, the breathable footwear according to the invention allowsmeeting the user's needs in terms of breathability of sweat at the sametime comfort, thermal insulation and waterproofing from the outside.

In fact, the presence of tapes associated to the waterproofing portionby means of gluing and/or fusion firstly allows avoiding puncturing thefabric of both the upper and the same waterproofing portion, so as notto compromise the waterproofing/water repellency.

At the same time this type of attachment does not interfere with thefunction of the waterproofing and breathable membrane of allowing theevaporation of sweat, so as to avoid its pooling in contact with thefoot.

Furthermore this type of attachment, by not requiring a direct contactbetween the waterproofing and breathable portion/membrane and the upper,allows the possibility of leaving a gap between said portion/membraneand the upper. Such a gap improves the breathability of the foot, allowsthe sweat to escape through suitable holes passing through the upper andalso creates a further thermal barrier that insulates the foot from theoutside environment.

At the same time, the presence of a waterproofing portion, such as, forexample, an inner water-repellent membrane, ensures the water repellencyof the shoe, i.e., it prevents water from penetrating from the outsideof the shoe and coming in contact with the user's foot.

All the comfort characteristics of the footwear remain unchanged interms of inner/outer layers and padded portions so as to absorb theimpacts of the user's foot.

The footwear is light overall and comfortable to wear.

The method of producing the footwear is also simple, fast andinexpensive to implement.

In fact, the application of the tapes or inserts on themembrane/waterproofing and breathable lining is realised in a rapid andconvenient manner, even before sewing the lining itself to the bag.

As seen, such application may take place either by gluing or heatwelding.

The subsequent attachment of the tapes or the inserts to the upper mayin turn take place by gluing or heat welding but also by sewing, in afast and convenient manner, since it is not required to tighten themembrane and upper in contact, but the tapes or inserts allow a certainslack between the parts to be connected.

A person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy contingent and specificneeds, may make numerous modifications and variations to the footwearand the footwear production method described above, all howevercontained within the scope of the invention as defined by the followingclaims.

1. Breathable footwear, in particular for applications to ski boots,off-track ski boots, telemark, snow board as well as sports shoes ingeneral, comprising: a waterproofing and breathable portion, at leastpartially closed so as to identify a containment volume for a foot of auser, wherein the waterproofing and breathable portion is shaped so asto allow the escape of water or vapour to the outside of the footwearand the containment volume and so as to prevent the entry of water orvapour coming from the outside of the footwear inside said containmentvolume, an upper positioned so to cover said waterproofing andbreathable portion, wherein the upper is at least partially perforatedto facilitate the escape of water or vapour from the waterproofing andbreathable portion, characterised in that the waterproofing andbreathable portion is mechanically connected to the upper by means of atleast one tape, comprising at least a first flap attached to thewaterproofing and breathable portion by means of gluing or heat welding,and comprising at least a second flap fixed to the upper by means ofgluing, thermoforming or sewing.
 2. The breathable footwear of claim 1,wherein the upper is water-repellent, so as to prevent the entry ofwater or vapour which would stagnate in the gap between thewaterproofing and breathable portion and said upper.
 3. The breathablefootwear of claim 1, wherein the tape is shaped so as to permit aclearance or gap between the waterproofing and breathable portion andthe upper.
 4. The breathable footwear of claim 1, wherein the tape isshaped so that the connection between the waterproofing and breathableportion and the upper is of a slack type, allowing a mutual movement ofthe connected parts.
 5. The breathable footwear of claim 1, wherein thetape is at least positioned at one side edge of the waterproofing andbreathable portion, arranged parallel to a main direction oflongitudinal extension (X-X) of the footwear.
 6. The breathable footwearof claim 1, wherein the tape is made of thermoplastic material.
 7. Thebreathable footwear of claim 1, wherein the tape is provided with aplurality of holes.
 8. The breathable footwear of claim 1, wherein thewaterproofing and breathable portion is shaped so as to be folded andclosed like a bag, having a front access portion so as to cover a user'sfoot associable at least to the height of an ankle of said foot.
 9. Thebreathable footwear of claim 1, wherein said waterproofing andbreathable portion is folded and closed by means of seams and whereinsaid seams are waterproofed.
 10. The breathable footwear of claim 9,wherein said seams are waterproofed by overlapping of the waterproofthermal adhesive tape.
 11. The breathable footwear of claim 1, whereinsaid waterproofing and breathable portion comprises a membrane, forexample, of the GORE-TEX® type.
 12. The breathable footwear of claim 1,wherein the upper comprises a plurality of overlapping and breathablecomponents, suitable to form portions of footwear having differentthicknesses, materials and/or stiffnesses.
 13. The breathable footwearof claim 12, wherein at least one of said overlapping and breathablelayers is made of a thermo-formable material.
 14. A ski boot comprisingat least a breathable footwear according to claim 1, said footwear beinghoused inside a compartment of the ski boot delimited by an inner wallof the ski boot so as to make an outer layer of the footwear face saidinner wall of the ski boot.
 15. A method of making breathable footwearcomprising the steps of: providing a waterproofing and breathableportion divided into at least two separate parts, closing said separateparts together by joining together counter-shaped flaps, so as toidentify a containment volume for a foot of a user, waterproofing thejoins of said counter-shaped flaps, providing an upper arranged so as tocover said waterproofing and breathable portion, wherein the upper is atleast partially perforated to facilitate the escape of water or vapourfrom the waterproofing and breathable portion, mechanically connectingto the upper the waterproofing and breathable portion by means of atleast one tape, wherein at least a first flap of the tape is attached tothe waterproofing and breathable portion by means of gluing or heatwelding, and at least a second flap of the tape is attached to the upperby means of gluing, thermoforming or sewing.
 16. A method of makingbreathable footwear comprising the steps of: providing a waterproofingand breathable portion divided into at least two separate parts, closingsaid separate parts together by joining together counter-shaped flaps,so as to identify a containment volume for a foot of a user,waterproofing the joins of said counter-shaped flaps, providing an upperarranged so as to cover said waterproofing and breathable portion,wherein the upper is at least partially perforated to facilitate theescape of water or vapour from the waterproofing and breathable portion,mechanically connecting to the upper the waterproofing and breathableportion by means of at least one tape, wherein at least a first flap ofthe tape is attached to the waterproofing and breathable portion bymeans of gluing or heat welding, and at least a second flap of the tapeis attached to the upper by means of gluing, thermoforming or sewing,and making the footwear according to claim 1.